Psimas: 'The P Is Silent. She Is Not.'

October 28, 1999|By REGINA LIGHTFOOT Daily Press

SUFFOLK — Elizabeth Psimas might be a political newcomer. But she's hardly a novice at building coalitions and making things happen.

In fact, that's how Psimas (pronounced "Sim-is") met state Sen. Frederick M. Quayle - the man whom she hopes to defeat on Tuesday. While working on a project with the Portsmouth Service League, Psimas went to Richmond to meet Quayle. The issue was allowing the service league to offer liquor at a cocktail reception on school grounds. In the previous legislative session, legislators had banned alcohol on school grounds.

She said that though Quayle supported the exemption that permitted the cocktail party, he didn't want to meet service-league members over the issue.

Psimas said the incident showed that Quayle was unresponsive and out of touch with the citizens he represented - which Quayle denies.

"I've known Mr. Quayle for some time and became disenchanted with the attention he has paid to his constituents," said Psimas, who owns Travel Designers Inc. in Portsmouth.

As head of several organizations - including the Portsmouth division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, Portsmouth Partnership, Portsmouth Rotary Club, Ports-mouth Service League and Olde Town Business Association - Psimas, 42, thinks that she possesses the tools needed to represent the residents of District 13.

"I'm a businessperson. I'm very accustomed to dealing with groups of individuals around a table to make something happen," Psimas said. "I think I'd do a much better job then he has."

Lonny Staylor, director of the Portsmouth/Suffolk Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, credits Psimas as successful during her year as president of the Portsmouth chamber.

He said attendance at chamber events increased during her tenure.

"She's the kind of person who gets involved personally in activities and makes things happen. She's as much a doer as a leader."

In her campaign, Psimas has promised to provide more aggressive representation to the 13th District. In fact, one mailing aimed at helping voters pronounce her name reads, "The 'P' is silent. She is not." And she thinks that she can take on the issues more aggressively than Quayle.

"The need is at this seat. This is the right time," she said.

For Psimas, education is the most important issue voters are talking about. "If I knock on 100 doors, 80 of those 100 people will say education," she said. "Most of those folks are taking a lot about school safety and teacher-student ratios."

In that regard, Psimas wants to tighten laws that allow unloaded guns on school property in certain circumstances. "There is absolutely no reason to have a gun on school property," she said. "The loopholes that currently exist would allow guns on school property if the gun owner were not a student and were there for another nonschool function."

Psimas said she would also support legislation to ensure that all lottery proceeds are used permanently for school construction and equipment.

Regarding growth management, Psimas thinks that cities need more tools. But she doesn't favor stepping on the rights of property owners to achieve that. She disagrees with Suffolk's recent rezonings that resulted in downzoning property.

"The cities have to have some tools. We can't continue to have development after development continue to go up and still have the need for fire, police, schools and roads," she said. "If cities like Suffolk and Chesapeake don't come to terms with this, they're going to end up bankrupt or the roads will be so clogged that nobody will want to live there."

Psimas continues to hit Quayle on his problem years ago with delinquent taxes, as well as his introduction of a bill that could have put tolls on area roads.

However, Quayle said he mistakenly introduced the bill and then withdrew it. He said he's against tolls and worked to have tolls taken off the Jamestown Ferry.

He since has paid all taxes and penalties.

Although she's a Democrat, Psimas said, she would vote for a Republican-sponsored proposal if it were good for the district.

"I do not come to the table with any political baggage," Psimas said. "It's important to serve your constituents - not PACs (political action committees), not the governor. I don't owe anybody anything."